State grand jury declines to indict Clifton councilwoman

A Passaic County grand jury has decided not to indict Clifton Councilwoman Mary Sadrakula of state aggravated assault and obstruction of justice charges that alleged she broke her sister's nose and fractured her tailbone in an incident in the councilwoman's home.

Sadrakula still faces one disorderly persons charge of simple assault, which will be handled in municipal court.

"Politics can never play a part in our system of justice. The grand jury stood between an overzealous complainant and Mary. We are very pleased that politics was taken out of this case and that the grand jury was able to weigh the evidence and make a determination that is fair," said Hackensack attorney Robert Galantucci, who represents Sadrakula.

Galantucci said late Tuesday afternoon that the councilwoman was not yet aware of the grand jury's "no bill," as it is legally termed.

"I will be sharing it with Mary as soon as we get done speaking," the attorney said by phone.

Passaic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Gina Pfund, who presented the case to the grand jury on Thursday, said she could not comment on the facts of the case because grand jury proceedings are confidential.

The panel's no bill was made public Tuesday, as about a week elapses between the time a matter is presented to grand jurors and the time their findings are handed up to the assignment judge and made part of the public record.

Pfund did explain, as a matter of law, that the simple assault charge was being remanded to municipal court because it was the only disorderly persons offense she faced of the three charges.

Customarily, if a grand jury does not indict on state charges, the decision does not make any remaining municipal charges go away.

Galantucci said the simple assault count carries a maximum $1,000 fine and six months in jail but that in his experience, jail time is rare.

Those penalties are much less serious than the five years in state prison she could have faced had she been indicted on the other counts.

Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi declined to comment when asked Tuesday about the grand jury's decision not to indict.

Councilman Matt Grabowski, a frequent critic of Sadrakula, on Tuesday said he hopes the City Council can move on with its business.

"I'm sorry the people of Clifton had to be put through this and endure this type of negative attention," Grabowski said. "I guess the justice system will do what it does. Sorry that we had this shadow on us. I hope this is all going to be put behind us."

Sadrakula, 55, was arrested on Feb. 20 following an incident involving her sister, Lorraine Sadrakula, at the councilwoman's Dwasline Road home.

In addition to the assault charges, Clifton police said, Sadrakula obstructed the administration of the law by twice telling a police dispatcher that there was no problem at her home after police received an emergency call from her number.

Authorities said Lorraine Sadrakula told officers, who went to the house anyway, that the councilwoman had hit and kicked her and pushed her down. She was treated for a broken nose and tailbone at St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic.

Mary Sadrakula pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Galantucci declined to comment on what went on before the grand jury, or, for that matter, in Sadrakula's home that night.

"Just as we have done all along, we are not going to debate the factual issues in the paper," he said. "We always thought that once the grand jury got to see [the case], they would see that really not a lot was there."